AUTHOR Joe Klein of “Primary Colors” fame is trying to be the first out of the gate with a book on the historical impact of the Bill Clinton presidency.

A just-inked deal with Doubleday estimated to be for the low six figures calls for the tome to hit next year.

“It will be the first clear-eyed look at the Presidency of Bill Clinton without the static of his personal life,” said Stephen Rubin, president and publisher of the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group at Random House.

“Most people acknowledge that he was a good president – whether they liked him or not,” said Rubin.

When agent Kathy Robbins was shopping the book, one source said it had the working title, “Turtle on the Fence Post.” But that name may get lost.

“That’s news to me,” said Rubin, when asked about the working title. “We’re just calling it untitled.”

Peter Gethers, editor-at-large of Random House Inc., will edit the book.

Klein’s million-selling novel “Primary Colors,” published originally under the pen name of “Anonymous,” was believed to be very heavily based on Klein’s coverage of Clinton in his first election campaign. Klein’s last book was the 2000 novel, “The Running Mate” for the Dial Press imprint of Random House Inc., which also has an option on his next novel.

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Is Jason Klein getting ready to join the parade of people eyeing Emap USA? The magazine group that’s been put on the block by its London-based parent company includes Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Teen and Guns & Ammo among its titles.

Jason Klein (no relation to author Joe Klein) may have taken the first step toward making a run at them Friday when he quit as the president and CEO of the competing Time4Media group at AOL Time Warner. (He’ll be succeeded by Mark Ford, who was running the Time Inc. subsidiary Media Networks Inc.)

Klein’s group was known as Times Mirror Magazines, but last October the Time Inc. division of AOL Time Warner agreed to pay $475 million for the magazines and the name was changed this year.

Klein had been heading the group since 1999, when it was still part of Times Mirror Corp.

Klein had actually teamed up with Steve Rattner and the Quadrangle Group in a futile bid to try to buy the TMM titles from Tribune before they were outbid by Time Inc.

Asked why he was leaving now, so soon after the deal was completed, Klein said, “I just came to the conclusion that being a division president is not the same as being the CEO of a stand-alone company.” He had been reporting to Sports Illustrated president Michael Klingensmith.

Could Klein now be teaming up with someone to try and buy the Emap USA properties – once known as Petersen Publishing – from the London-based Emap PLC?

“I can’t comment on that,” said Klein.

If he is pressing ahead, he joins a long list of potential suitors that so far includes David Pecker and American Media; former Petersen Vice Chairman Claeys Bahrenburg; Dan Brewster and Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing, and the Paris-based parent company of Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, which is headed in New York by Jack Kliger. And his old rival Time Inc. may also be taking a look.

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Detour’s problems appear deeper than first reported. Departing Creative Director Marc Balet says he refused to allow his name to be used in the April issue because he had not been paid.

Earlier, Detour Media Group CEO Andrew Left suggested he had let Balet go because he was too expensive and the company was trimming costs.

Not true, according to Balet. “No one ever fired me,” said Balet. “They haven’t paid me for four months. As far as being too expensive, that’s the first I heard about it.”

Publisher Barbara Zawlocki said she quit over pay. “I’m owed close to $70,000,” said Zawlocki, a seven-year veteran. “I love Detour with a passion, I worked there seven years – but I can’t work for love alone.”

She said she also lost commissions when the company canceled issues due to the cash crunch.

The February/March issue did not make it onto newsstands until April 10, when it was reflagged as the Spring Fashion Issue. An April issue is now being combined with a May issue.

Left said he was not sure how much Balet and Zawlocki are owed but acknowledged he was in arrears. He said is working on financing for the future.

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Youngsuk, we have not forgotten you. Youngsuk S. Chi was named president of Random House Inc. – the second-highest post, behind Peter Olson – but his appointment last Thursday was lost amid a blitz of late week media news. He landed the key job only three months after joining from Ingram.